It is known to provide printed synthetic foil having the appearance of a wood veneer with adhesive on one side and to protect this adhesive layer with a covering sheet, so as to obtain a transportable sheet material which can be distributed in shops. The user removes the covering sheet and can then stick the printed synthetic foil directly onto doors, furniture or walls, without needing to use a press.
When the printed synthetic foil would be replaced by a veneer, i.e. by a thin layer of wood, such a product would be useless for the final user. The reason for this lies in the fact that the veneer is a wood material, and as such alters ("moves") due to ambient influences, and in particular becomes wrinkled. Therefore in order to cover larger areas satisfactorily, a press has to be used. For these reasons there is no finished veneer sheet material on the market which can be worked in the simple manner as is the case with printed synthetic foils.
It is an object of the invention to produce a finished veneer sheet material as a new product which can be worked as easily as can printed synthetic foils.
A further object of the invention is to produce a finished veneer sheet material which can be stuck over a large area onto objects such as doors, furniture or walls, without using a machine press.
A further object of the invention is to prepare a finished veneer sheet material which shows inlay work.
A further object of the invention is to prepare a finished veneer sheet material which is suitable for further processing for inlay work by both cabinet makers and Do-It-Yourself people.
The finished veneer sheet material for sticking onto doors, furniture or walls according to the invention contains at lease a first and a second layered construction, likewise a carrier. The first layered construction contains a veneer layer having an upper side and a lower side. The second layered construction contains a bonding layer which is able to hold the veneer layer together and is able to be releasably bonded to the carrier. The carrier is so constructed as to be resistant to flexing that it is able to stabilise the veneer layer together with the bonding layer from undesirable distortion (buckling as a result of moisture absorption). To apply the finished veneer, the veneer layer is released from the carrier, whereby one can employ a blade having a rounded off cutting edge. The released veneer layer is held together by means of the bonding layer or parts of this bonding layer, even if the veneer layer is comprised of individual veneer pieces, which are assembled somewhat along the lines of an inlay. The veneer layer thus held together on its lower side by means of the bonding layer, is stuck to the desired object as soon as possible before the veneer layer becomes uneven as a result of ambient influences, in particular moisture absorption.
It has proved to be especially advantageous when the second layered construction contains a first glue layer, a paper layer having a first and second surface, and a second glue layer. The first glue layer bonds the lower side of the veneer layer to the surface of the paper layer and thereby develops a first bonding strength. The second surface of the paper layer is stuck to the carrier and thereby develops a second bonding strength. The paper layer contains fibres which mutually exhibit a third bonding strength. The materials are so selected that the third bonding strength is smaller than the first bonding strength and also smaller than the second bonding strength. Therefore when the veneer layer is released from the carrier by the separating blade, the paper is split and one part of the paper fibres adheres to the lower side of the veneer layer, whilst the other part of the paper fibres remains adhered to the carrier.
The upper side of the veneer layer can bear a lacquer layer as is the case with usual veneer surfaces. Of course the veneer is previously sanded, likewise stained (treated with colour solution) and primed.
The finished veneer sheet material can also be so constructed that it is suitable for further processing for inlay work. For this purpose a third and a fourth layered construction are provided which are arranged on the first layered construction. The third layered construction contains a second veneer layer having an upper side and a lower side. The fourth layered construction contains a second bonding layer which is able to hold the second veneer layer together and to releasably bond with the first layered construction. Accordingly when the second veneer layer is transversly severed by means of a knife along a closed line, the severed veneer piece is released by means of a blunt blade from the bond and can be replaced by a correspondingly shaped veneer piece, which is stuck into the gap created. Also the interested Do-It-Yourself man can carry out inlay work in this manner.